Randy Smith inducted in state Journalism Hall of Fame

Randy Smith inducted in state Journalism Hall of Fame

Randy Smith is among seven people inducted into the Tennessee Journalism Hall of Fame. / Contributed photo from Randy Smith

Randy Smith is among seven people inducted into...

Photo by
Contributed Photo
/Times Free Press.

Longtime broadcaster and online columnist Randy Smith is among seven journalists who have been inducted in the Tennessee Journalism Hall of Fame.

This is the hall's sixth class and it also includes East Tennessee cartoonist Charlie Daniel; veteran Middle Tennessee journalist and journalism advocate Frank Gibson; Les Leverett, a world-renowned photographer of stars at Nashville's Grand Ole Opry; 10-time Emmy Award-winning Nashville reporter and anchor Bob Mueller, of WKRN-TV; longtime sportscaster Randy Smith; the late investigative reporter and columnist Jerry Thompson; and Dan Whittle, co-founder of the hall of fame and radio show co-host at WGNS.

The Tennessee Journalism Hall of Fame partners with Middle Tennessee State University.

"It is housed at MTSU and that is where I went to school, so that makes it special," Smith said.

He said being inducted and having his name mentioned alongside fellow Chattanooga inductees Bob Johnson (2014) and Darrell Patterson (2016), as well as Hudley Crockett (2016) and John Hale (2016), is very humbling to him.

"But the thing that makes it especially meaningful for me is that Monte Hale, my mentor, is in there and now that I am in there with him is so wonderful," Smith said.

Smith attended Madison High School in Madison, Tennessee, and studied health, physical education and recreation at MTSU before becoming sports director at both WRCB-TV 3 and WDEF-TV 12. He is former announcer/kickoff call-in show host at Vol Network IMG. He writes a sports-related column for Chattanoogan.com.